Ella mirrored her brother's facial expressions as his pupils went up and down staring at the screen, her shaggy curls bounced as she moved her head in curiosity.
"How was she?" She initiated the talk, her legs laid straight on the glass table.
"How was, who?"
"The Vampire Princess." Ella lazily added.
"You're not supposed to call them that, it's offensive." Chump smugly corrected his sister.
Ella rolled her eyes back, "I heard they are fast."
"Way faster, mind you She was only 19."
"Wait, don't they like, age differently?"
''You sound very uneducated." Chump who took every chance to be more knowledgeable answered.
"Wow, something must have happened a few weeks I was gone," Ella whined at her brother's annoying but not surprising behavior.
Chump scrolled on the touchpad. He frowned as if he were not as pleased with whatever was on the screen.
"Michael Carum Wright, 33-year-old Australian."
"Australian! What the fuck kind of bad guy is from Australia." Ella blurted out, her body stretched on the office chair pulling her neck back.
"I don't know know." Chump whose focus was on the screen answered, he rubbed his chin while looking for more information on his PC. "Well, he was at least brought there when he was 7 to the orphanage in Canberra."
"Brought from where." Ella immediately forwarded her body.
"It doesn't say, only that, 'Wonderful couple Mr and Mrs Wright are excited to meet their son for the first time. Orphanage whose number one goal is to save children, bring families together,' and whatever the fucking lies."
"Of course, to save children," Ella put her legs down and rolled the office chair near her brother's PC. "Well look at them, profile fitted for child trafficker." She glared at the screen and put her tatted arms on the table bringing herself closer to the screen. "Wait, is that him?" She pointed at the young boy surrounded by adults. "For someone that's gonna turn into a murderer, you were cute."
"Yup." Chump clicks his mouse bringing more information to the screen.
"Classic grade A student, played violin played basketball, probably peaked in high school no crime records whatsoever, went on to get his Biotechnical engineering degree from Germany, 6ft4. This motherfucker!" He enunciated as he got annoyed with every word.
"Wait I wanna see the parents." Ella snatched the mouse from her brother.
"Carol and Thomas. SAHW, Thomas Wright former security guard for Major company. Never had any children."
"What else? Unionized workers protested outside a major company for mass layoff. Ella continuously scrolled. "When was this? 1998 and 2022. That's, it." Ella muttered as she read through each paragraph.
"Yup, totally normal folks," Chump grunted as he stood up like he was tired and ready to leave.
"What about Facebook? Every Gen X has Facebook." Ella turned to her brother enquiring her him.
"Both of them have it but haven't posted anything in decades, at least not about their only child, no-graduation pictures no nothing every parent has those." Chump picked up the printed notes.
Ella was already glaring at her brother, who was in the middle of something else.
"What? Chump waved the printed sheets.
"Only one way to find out and get all the correct answers, I mean you proved it, because of which we know now that Amy girl-"
"Amelia Dary." Ella cut off her brother.
"Right, Amelia Dary had an abusive step-dad-."
"Alleged." She corrected her brother.
Chump pointed at his sister like he agreed with her, "Then she ran to the Girl Victim Protective Centre, from where she disappeared, police weren't much help, the poor girl didn't feel safe and was scared of having to be sent back home and all testimonies are from neighbors. See all these tiny details that matter," He gestured his arms trying to carefully explain things.
"Right." Ella dragged the word as she could see through her brother's excuses.
"So, It only makes sense if I leave for Australia.
Ella burst out a single laugh.
"What?"
"You of all people."
"Who else."
"Uhmm like me,"
"Chump laughed at his sister.
"Yeah right."
Two siblings gawked at each other, their lips twitching, and eyes widened.
**********
"Freeman," The man called out to the woman drifting away in their thought.
"Hmmm." The woman pondered.
"Where did you go? He took notice of his partner's absentness, just sitting near him.
"Nothing, we should leave." The woman sat up from a slump of thoughts.
"Okay, but not until you tell me what's up," The man in the driver's seat insisted.
The woman glared at the man annoyed. "Why does it matter what I think?" She looked at the man suspiciously. "So that you can go to our bosses and pretend like it was your original thought."
"My god." The man was perplexed at the accusation. "Hey, I'm not the one who took your position.
He paused being taken aback by his own words.
"Look, we both know it must have been you, looking at the rest of the team from the last 4 years there was no one that came close in performance okay, not even me. Not to mention ranking in all tests during training days like come on they know."
"It doesn't matter." The woman was now clearly upset.
"You're the best among us. Suppose anyone deserves that position its you. You would have been the best Senior Officer, they could have offer.
"Like, it matters, you don't need training or rankings nowadays to become a Junior Officer. All you gotta do is intern for a few months and that's it." The woman disheveled whined to her trusted colleague.
"Ahhh.. the nepo-baby. By the way who's the daddy?
"Who cares? Thank you, Reynolds, for what it's worth since you're the only one who thinks that. The rest, well they voted for Branson."
"Fuck, Branson. Both the father and son."
"100 bucks, to say in front of Councilman Branson." She teased.
"Can say suck deez nuts instead."
The woman laughed
"See, there is a light at the end of the hole."
"Tunnel."
"Same thing."
"No... it isn't. But you're right."
"Wait, What are you thinking?" The man noticed the woman's instant change in facial expression.
"Something is not right. Why go out of your way to get a silver from that particular place? Our country has import deals for metal from all over Europe."
"Why get that specific silver, when you're only a jewelry company that's newly established, it's going to cost a lot of money." The woman said.
"They did say that they want to make authentic and traditional Eastern European jewelry. Not to mention 'Ethically source'." The man added.
"Huhhh,'' She wondered.
"We are going to Europe." The woman said out of the blue.
"We are?" The man questioned, ecstatically.
"Okay, Boss."
********
******text message******
I heard you were in the hospital, what happened?
I'm okay now
I went to the medi-aid facility, why weren't you there?
I have a very expensive team of professionals. [emoji]
[emoji] You didn't tell Mom, did you?
[emoji] Nope
Why not?
None of her concerns. [emoji]. You're not going to tell her either.
[emoji] You understand the kind of situation we're in right?
I'm very much aware, that's why I do what I do.
Where are you now?
Work..
[emoji] Please be more careful, also Rayla leave in 2 weeks we need to discuss how to get her to campus safely.
[thumbs up emoji]
David pushed the buttons on the remote to recline the bed in a sitting position, he gently pressed the wires that were attached to his body, drip hanging from both his arms.
"Mr. Rice."
"Yes," David replied to the knock on the Door.
A woman in a white coat came in, her long ironed flared pants covered half of the shoes, heels tapped the tiles.
She warmly smiled at her patient.
"Dr. Patel," David carefully said.
"Rice." She stood near the bed and pulled out a pen light. "Look here, please." She bent over and pointed it at the pupils.
"Hmmm." She moved her head, swinging her straight ponytails, reading the monitors on each side of the bed.
"Reading is fine." She shrugged her shoulders.
''What about, tests?"
"It's embarrassing really." Her focus still on the monitors.
"Really?"
"Immhmm.. Cheaply made herbal potion, probably by an amateur. Unfortunately for you, it simply reacted with the alcohol in your blood, which we to need discuss." The woman proposes. "I'm talking about your health, David."
"You know potions?" David teased his friend of 9 years, also trying to change the subject.
"Believe it or not, I was raised by one of the most powerful Potion Maker in South Asia. My Grandmother! You know villagers used to fall at her feet and worship her like a Goddess they would fight to get a piece of her tunic believing with would cure all their ailments." She bragged a bit.
"Woww.. Should try to grab your coat, too."
"HAHA." She laughed. "But seriously, if not for my father who became a nonbeliever who fought through it all studied engineering, and eventually left the country, guess we would have never known.
"What happened to her." David enquired.
"When I was 5 my Dad took me and mom on a 'Vacation' to his home country and let's just say he lured a powerful witch out of her domain, using her grandchild. I remember her being so vibrant and full of life, she looked young and glowing for her age. But after coming here, this place sucked her soul out she wasn't the same, she was still amazing though, till she passed."
"That sounds kinda sad, you never said anything about her."
" Yeah it was, but my father was not willing to leave her alone. Regardless of their relationship, I guess he just like any Asian kid felt responsible towards his old mother. In the end, it didn't do either of them good."
"But I got a lucky little bit of both worlds at my fingertips science and ancient knowledge, my dad knew what my grandma was doing behind his back teaching me all this 'superstitious belief' but he let it happen I guess he felt a bit guilty. Anyways." She snaps back after rambling about her family history.
"Speaking about family, Have you spoken to your mother about letting you borrow the devices, yet.'' She changed the topic of the conversation.
"I'm still working on that part, let's just say that witch sitting on the high council is a real pain in the ass."
"Uff.. I heard many years ago that Death Sa'ers are hard to deal with, they are also said to be linked to the Goddess of Death in many Asian cultures. My grandmother used to scare me with the legends of The Goddess who was quick to anger and would destroy everything in her path When that happens, how her skin turns dark and their third eye opens somewhere in her skull and she gets really ugly and scary." The woman makes several facial expressions as though she was telling a scary story to a young child. "So, many people that worship her would offer all the materialistic things and expensive palate as to please and coax her trying to be in her favor.
"Right," David pushes his brows back, not being able to tell if his friend is kidding or not.
"Seriously, David you should try talking to her. Maybe try being nice and pamper her."
"Hah." David blurted out. "You know, if you had death witch for a mother you wouldn't say that."
"I mean, spoil her take her shopping in Paris, Milan, private jets, Kellys, and Birkin every girl wants those and we both know you have the money."
"Oh, trust me she doesn't need any more bags her lackeys that love to 'coax' get her every designer there is from all the world."
"But you still need to talk to her David she's your mom, and I'm not saying that just in order to get those devices, I'm sure she loves you, every parent does."
"I'm going to sleep," David said not willing to have any more conversations
"Fine, I'm leaving." She pulled back her arms like she had given up. "Try David." She fixed the blankets and gently tapped him.
"immm.."
********
Mary observed the young officers trying to keep their stance in being professional, She quietly noticed the two side-eyeing one another.
She leaned forward put her elbows on the desk and clasped her hands.
"You want to further the investigation to Europe?"
"Yes," the two answered in unison, their eyes looking straight past Mary.
"The investigation that led to all this deemed unsuccessful?" Mary questioned.
"As some of the parties involved either refuse to collaborate or the third parties presence where protected." The man added.
"So, it was a fail, now you expect me to send you to Europe so you can continue to investigate without any definitive evidence. And why would I do that?"
"Because we are positive that the situation is much dire than it presents itself to be, whatever it may be we can further it by investigating the location." The woman answered.
"What makes you think that the Joint Houses of European Confederation will let you investigate in their soil." Mary went on questioning.
"We don't have to let them know?" The woman answered after quite a pause.
"Negative," Mary announced, their shoulders dropped, one couldn't tell if it was in relief or disappointment.
"Dismissed."
Two straightened their leg ready to walk out.
"Not you, Freeman," Mary added.